To Believe Again
by purplebass
Summary: Bart Bass had told him that Santa Klaus didn't exist, and he had believed him. An unexpected visit on a lonely Christmas Eve will make him question this belief and enjoy the festivity in a surprising way. Will Chuck Bass believe again? - A series of one shots about little!Chuck&Blair.
1. Christmas 1999

Hello, guys! Yesterday I was talking on twitter with my dear Riml and I had this idea all of a sudden. I've always wanted to write Chuck and Blair as kids and this time I had the chance to do so. I may leave this story open for the future, I want to write more cute moments of these two and their friends when they were little. Enjoy!

…

Christmas Eve. 1999.

A eight year old Chuck Bass was getting ready for the day. He knew that day was special, the most special of the year. It was the day before Christmas and the night before Santa Claus would arrive and bring children gifts.

Although he knew Santa didn't exist, as his father Bart reminded him every year, he would pretend that he was just lying to him so he wouldn't get his hopes up. Little Chuck's wishes were too hard to satisfy and he knew it. He always desired what he knew his father could never give to him, and therefore he had to forget about it and accept what he was willing to get.

He wondered if this year his father would give him money to put on his bank account, or a kid-sized suit with vest and bowtie like the year before.

There was really no variety in Chuck's gifts from Bart. They were always clothes or money, and despite he loved suits and ties, he was tired of getting them for Christmas. But what a child with a father like his could expect?

He knew Nate usually received new toys and tickets to go to the amusement park with his mother and father, and in a little side of his heart, he wished Bart would give him those things too. He didn't love little trains or teddy bears very much, but if he would ever get one – it would be a real change for him. Because his father would actually be like any other of his friends' fathers.

Little Chuck knew Bart Bass wasn't an usual man, nor father. He didn't know what a toy was and when his son asked to suggest him something to do to pass the time, he never mentioned the verb 'play'. _Playing_ wasn't on Bart's dictionary, it seemed. He always told his only boy that he should practice maths and read books so that in the future he would be a good businessman.

And that was what he usually did. Little Chuck Bass spent days getting smarter and learn how to tie a tie and how to match it with his socks and suit, believing this would make his father proud. But Bart Bass never showed any appreciation of his activities. This made Chuck hard on himself and convinced that he deserved to be alone on Christmas Eve, he had been a bad boy.

"Sylvia, can you bring me the phone, please?" the little guy wanted to try one last time. The maid went to collect the portable object and gave it to the child before she disappeared into the other room. It was almost Christmas, after all.

Chuck dialed the number he knew so well for the third time. The phone seemed to call, but no one answered for a long time until someone finally picked up.

"Hello, Bass Enterprises. How can I help you?"

He cleared his voice. "Liza, is my father done with work?"

"I'm sorry, Mr Bass. He just told me that he's going to have a last time reunion soon and that he doesn't know when he will be able to get back home. I was going to call you."

_'Yeah, I really believe you you wanted to_', little Chuck was going to tell her. But he refrained. "It's Christmas Eve. We always have dinner together on Christmas Eve."

"He added that you can open your gifts if you want. The maid knows where he put them."

Chuck saddened more than before. "But he promised me that we'll dine together" he repeated, trying to get Bart's secretary to go and beg his father for him. "Can you go and tell him?"

"I really am sorry, Mr Bass. But I can't. I can interrupt him only for important stuff. I'll tell him when he's done that you called" the woman promised.

The little boy didn't wait for her to finish, that he ended the call and put the phone on the table next to his empty dish. He was hoping that he would fill it later with food to eat with his father, but it seemed as if his plans were canceled.

He sighed and then stood up. He didn't want to remain there at that table, looking at the set of empty chairs around him. So he went next to the window, because it was snowing and he really loved snow a lot. It was one of the things he loved the most about Christmas, because he and Nate could have snow fights with Blair and Serena.

He loved ruining Blair's hair with cold snow so much, because the little girl was a tad mean and dared to slap him for the smallest thing he did. Not that he didn't deserve some slaps, but he thought Blair exaggerated sometimes. They were still kids after all and he just wanted to play with his best friend and their other most significant kindergarten friends.

He thought about snow fights when he was looking outside, hoping it would ease the pain he was feeling in that moment because he was sure Bart was never going to make it for dinner. But the pain didn't go away. And the only thing little Chuck wanted to, was crying his eyes out because he felt so lonely on the day families should gather together to celebrate.

But he wouldn't cry. No, crying was for the weak. That was what Bart had told him once when he caught his son shedding tears after he had got a bad grade at school. _A real man never cries_, that was what he said. And of course Chuck had always tried not to do so, it wouldn't make Bart proud and he didn't want his father not to be happy of his achievements.

"Mr Chuck" Sylvia, the maid, interrupted his train of thoughts. "You have a guest."

Chuck frowned, astonished. _A guest?_ He thought. Who could visit him at 6pm on Christmas Eve? He really wished it was his father and that he was trying to surprise him.

The boy was waiting for the tall and dark haired man to appear from behind the wooden door of the dining room, but was disappointed when a shorter person got in.

"Waldorf, I thought you would be home helping your dad with the dinner." He said, knowing that his school friend Blair had a father with whom she prepared pies with on these special occasions. "What are you doing here?" he then asked, his voice was a little rude for a little kid.

Blair pouted her lips and then put a hand on her hip, trying to look older than she was. "Daddy thought that this year I had to do something different to earn my Santa Klaus gifts."

"That is...?"

"Apologize and bring gifts. He said that I had to say I'm sorry to everybody I wronged in this year, so I first went to Serena because I broke her doll last week, and then Nate, to whom I did nothing but I wanted to see anyway." She said, her face was dreamy because he knew Blair liked Nate. "And then you. You're the last one on my list."

Chuck frowned. "Am I?"

She nodded. "Of course you are! Daddy said that I had to apologize for all the slaps I gave to you. I didn't want to do it at first because I didn't think I was in the wrong."

"Then why exactly did you come?"

"To please daddy! He said he won't tell Santa the gifts I asked him to bring me this year."

The little boy chuckled. He didn't know why, but that girl made him smile a lot. She was so weird and special and she wasn't like the other children he knew, that was probably the reason why he and Nate let her and Serena play with them.

He rolled his eyes. "Santa doesn't exist, Blair."

"Santa exists! My dad said we can wait for him together on the couch of the living room, and we'll leave cookies for him so that he won't think we're poor like people in Brooklyn."

"That is a lie."

Blair sighed and then put the envelope he had taken with her on the wooden table. It contained a pie. Then, unexpectedly, she run towards him and slapped his arm. "You're so mean! That's why I told daddy I didn't want to come to your house!"

"Be adult, Blair. Santa is fake, only little kids believe in him" he repeated, his voice was sharp and bored. "We are not little anymore" he added with a certain confidence although it wasn't true.

The girl glared at him and then he could see that she was about to cry. "Santa _does_ exist. I know it because I saw him. And you won't make me change my mind. Daddy told me so, whoever told you he isn't real, it's stupid."

"My father told me so. Do you think he is a stupid man?"

Blair didn't know what to say. She didn't want to question Bart Bass and his intelligence. She knew he run a company and she admired him because he had success. "But you must've believed in him once in your life. He must have brought you some gifts" she tried to propose.

Chuck shook his head. "The only person that ever gave me a gift was my father. Don't you see it? Your father is Santa Klaus."

"I still don't believe you! I hate you, Chuck Bass. And now I'm going to get back home and help daddy with the dinner, then we'll wait for Santa! Bye!" She turned on her ballerinas and went for the door, leaving him there alone again.

"I'll see you at school." He greeted her, but she was already gone. He had to admit that Blair's visit had amused him, she had distracted his thoughts for a few minutes.

Chuck sighed and looked at the clock. He thought he could make another call to Bart's office to see if he was going to make it for a late dinner. He retrieved the phone from the table and turned towards the window to deal the number for the fourth time that day.

"Mr Bass, is that you again? Mr Bass senior is still in, I have no idea when he'll finish."

"I see" little Chuck answered. He was getting sad again. "Can you ask him if he's gonna make it for dinner?"

"I can't, I apologize. I'm going home right now. You found me here by coincidence, Mr Bass. So I think you'll have to call your father later." She said, then she hung up without letting him answer her back.

"Yeah, I will definitely have dinner alone. Like always."

"Are you talking to yourself?" a voice called from behind.

He frowned and let the phone fall at his feet. "I was talking to my father. He's coming back. And why are you still here?"

"I forgot my coat! And I heard you."

He raised an eyebrow. He really hoped that she hadn't heard his whole call, he didn't want Blair Waldorf to feel resentment for him. "But I didn't say anything."

"You're a liar. You said that you will have dinner alone. Isn't your father coming back for dinner?"

"That is none of your business" Chuck snorted.

She rolled her eyes. "It must be sad to spend Christmas Eve without your daddy. I'm sorry."

He bit his lip, he didn't want her to feel that way about him. He didn't want to be pitied. "For what? I'm used to this. Now, if you'll excuse me, the maid is about to serve the dinner."

Blair wanted to tell him he was rude for wanting to push her out of his penthouse, but she refrained. She felt like she understood a little why Chuck was like that. His daddy was never home, and he had lied to him about Santa Klaus!

She never thought Bart Bass was that kind of man. She imagined him being a family man who was both successful with his job and with his loved ones. She imagined him being like... the perfect father. She felt disappointed that man wasn't the way she had imagined him to be.

Chuck was pretending that she had left the room. He sat down next to the window and took a book from the tiny table in front of it. He started reading but soon was interrupted when the housemaid, Sylvia, brought the phone to him.

"Father, is that you?" he asked. Blair noticed how his voice seemed joyful to hear from him. "Oh. Can't you come here and then leave again? We could dine together at least" he proposed, but she could tell that on the other end Bart Bass hadn't said yes. "I see. Then I'll see you tomorrow."

The little guy sighed and then shoved the phone on the side of the couch he was sitting on. She could tell he was livid that his father wouldn't make it for dinner.

"Why are you still here? Leave me alone." He then said to her, his voice was rude.

"Chuck. You know I don't usually do this, but... daddy won't complain if you want to have dinner with us, tonight."

He looked astonished by her proposal. "What?"

"You heard me, Bass. You can't stay alone at home on Christmas Eve! And wait for Santa all by yourself."

"Bart would be mad if he comes back and I'm not here" he tried to justify his refusal, he knew that his father won't mind if he wouldn't be at home once he would return.

Blair shrugged. She shivered when he called his father with his name, she wouldn't dare to do that with her daddy. "If you're happy to be alone and not eat chocolate and sweets Dorota has prepared and pies and other food and more, remain here. But I won't."

The little girl turned and went to the door to leave, but he stopped her.

"Alright, I'll come. But just because our maid's food is disgusting."

Blair smiled, proud of herself. She didn't only apologized to Chuck, she was continuing her apology by taking him to her house for Christmas. She felt happy that she did, this way her daddy would be so proud of her.

Eleanor and Harold Waldorf were pleased to have Bart Bass' son for dinner. Blair's mother didn't even know he attended the same school as her daughter, and she didn't know many other things about her – unlike her father. He thought maybe Eleanor and Bart were alike, but at least the brunette had another parent to lie on and trust.

Blair's father was great. He could tell that he loved his daughter very much because the two seemed very affectionate at the dinner. Somehow, he wished Bart was like this minus the hugs and kisses part. He was a man, not a boy. He didn't need these things if not from a girl.

After the long dinner and a lot of food, the parents left the children alone in front of the fireplace. They were playing some society games Blair had, and he thought they weren't that bad.

"Did you call your daddy to let him know you were here?" Blair asked all of a sudden.

He wasn't taken aback, he expected this question sooner or later and from her parents, not her. "No. And I won't bother to do so, he's too busy."

"That's so sad. Every daddy loves his child" she said with confidence.

The little boy giggled. "It's easy for you to say this because your dad loves you."

She shrugged. "That's true, daddy loves me very much. But I think your father loves you too. It's impossible he doesn't. It's in our nature!"

"Believe me, he doesn't. If he really loved me, he wouldn't be at work right now."

"I'm sorry." Blair said, and she truly was.

The boy turned to her and glared. "I don't need your compassion. I know you're doing it to please your father so he would tell whatever Santa Klaus about your gifts."

"That's not true! I mean, it's true but I really am sorry for that."

Chuck stood up from the floor where they were playing and rushed to the elevator, ready to leave. She run after him, she didn't want him to go just yet. She wasn't sure why, but she was liking being with him. He was silent and not too bad to stay with. Plus, she was having fun.

"Please, Chuck. Don't go! Let's play that game again. I thought you liked it!"

The child was going to call the elevator but he realized that he needed to grab his coat before leaving, and call his driver to pick him up.

"I don't want to be your Santa project, Blair. I shouldn't had come. Now Bart will be furious if he doesn't find me home."

"You know he won't. Maybe he's not even home yet. Please, don't leave the house."

Chuck was somehow convinced because he didn't want to argue with her. He sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and then the two children went back to the fireplace and started playing together again.

He wouldn't admit it either, but he was also having fun at Blair's house. He thought that if he had remained at his penthouse, he would be lonely and deluded that he was spending Christmas Eve alone. He would open his gifts and then go to bed as if it was an usual day. But there, at Blair's house, he felt the real Christmas air that he never lived at his own place.

The following morning, Christmas Day, he woke up abruptly by Blair's sighs. The two had fallen asleep playing Cluedo and no one had woken them up and told him to go back home. Apparently she was saying that Santa had come and he had kept his promise.

He rubbed his eye and then stood up to reach her next to the Christmas tree. She was still opening her gifts.

"I'm so happy! Santa brought me the doll house I wanted! I told you, Chuck, Santa exists!"

Chuck nodded with annoyance, not bothered to even discuss with Blair about Santa Klaus again.

"And he also brought me some cute outfits!" She showed him some bags with names of famous designers on them. "Santa was kind with you too."

He frowned. "What?"

Blair retrieved a box from under the tree and gave it to him. "Santa brought you something, Chuck. Unless there's another Chuck Bass in this house."

The boy looked at it and his first instinct was to smile. There was really written Chuck Bass on that blue velvet box. He couldn't believe it. How could Santa know that he would spend the night there at Blair's house?

He didn't ask twice and he opened the box. Inside of it there was a set of various vehicles, but it was mostly town cars and limos. He grinned proudly.

"I think Santa knew you love limos very much. He thought you would have liked some tiny limos to play with" Blair supposed, smiling at him. She was happy too.

"That must be it."

"He also filled a stocking for you!" Blair made him notice.

The guy looked up and saw a stocking with his name written on it. He was truly amazed. He stood up and went to collect the object. It had a lot of sweets inside of it and he was eager to eat them later. He couldn't believe his own eyes that morning.

"Now you believe Santa exists?" Blair asked him with curiosity.

Chuck didn't answer her. He just shrugged and smiled. He was finally happy. "Maybe."

"Well, that's a start at least. Now let's eat these together!"

The little boy hadn't spent Christmas Eve with his father but he was satisfied the same way. Of course he wanted his old man to give him the attentions he needed – he was only eight years old after all – but he knew that it would take time to change him. For now, he enjoyed staying with Blair and her parents. Who knew, maybe Blair wouldn't slap him anymore after that and they could actually become friends like him and Nate were.


	2. Halloween 2001

Hello everybody! I'm so glad you liked the first one shot a lot, so I'm back here writing the second one. In this, Chuck, Blair, Serena and Nate are a little older than the first story. I think I my write them older in the following short stories. We'll see! Thank you again for your support.

….

**Halloween 2001.**

"Nate, have you called the girls? We're gonna have fun tonight" a ten year old Chuck Bass asked his best friend an October afternoon.

The two boys were in the attic of the Archibald's townhouse, preparing an evening and of course night, of sleepover with Blair and Serena. They didn't want to do anything with the girls, they were too little – although Chuck couldn't wait for the moment to catch a girl and give his first kiss.

They just wanted to scare them a little.

Nate nodded. "Yes! Blair seemed happy to come to stay over."

"I'm telling you, she is in love with you. She is always Nate this and Nate that. It's boring." Chuck rolled his eyes; this love stuff annoyed him. He thought he would never love a girl in his life.

The blond shrugged while he tried to find some stuff in a box. "I don't know, she is cute, but -"

"But what? If you'd ask her, I'm sure she would even kiss you on the lips."

"Nah, she is not the type."

Chuck shook his head. "You can have the chance of having your first kiss and you won't catch it?"

"Who cares now. Here, I found the spell book my grandfather owned!"

The dark haired boy reached his friend and they both smiled. "The girls will freak out tonight! Have you also brought that table that does the magic?"

Nate nodded. "I asked mom to prepare the table for us. We'll bring the book later."

"I can't wait to see Blair squirm. I'm sure I will enjoy it."

The two girls soon arrived, so Nate and Chuck went downstairs to greet them.

"Hello, Serena" Nate said, but he didn't greet Blair because she was still removing her coat.

Chuck, on the contrary, went to greet the brunette. The little girl was already rolling her eyes because Nate had said hello to her best friend before her.

"Good evening, Waldorf."

Blair still couldn't remove her coat because of a charms bracelet she had worn that day, so she glared at Chuck when she met his eyes. "This is not the right moment, Chuck." The little boy tried to help Blair with her coat but she recoiled back from him as if he were toxic. "Don't touch me!" she hissed, and he was a little annoyed. He wasn't about to do anything wrong.

Anyhow, once the girls were ready and it was late enough, the four of them headed to the living room. The boys had promised them that they would have fun. It was Halloween after all and they had to watch creepy movies and eat sweets.

First, they watched the movie. It wasn't a very scary one, but Chuck saw Blair trying to clutch to Nate's arm a several times, but not succeeding it. It seemed as if Serena had arrived before her and Nate was almost holding her hand.

Chuck liked when Blair was jealous, she was fun to watch. He knew for once that he would never be of anyone. What was jealousy anyway?

Once the movie was over, Nate switched the lights on again, and both Blair and Serena were relieved. But the moment didn't last long because he put another DVD and they never paused it.

Blair seemed really angry. She kept sighing and she looked like she was about to stab her best friend in the back just to have the excuse to sit closer to Nate, who was more interested in the blonde than her.

The two girls screamed a couple of times during the movie, but nothing special.

"Well then, the movies were quite cheap. Is this the best you can do?" Blair asked, ignoring what they had planned for the rest of the night.

Chuck smirked. "The movies were a little warm-up. Of course what's to come will be scarier."

The brunette didn't seem like believing him. "Let's hope I'll be impressed. The last movie didn't scare me a little bit."

The boy chuckled. "Not even a little? I saw you reaching for my best friends' hand for the whole time... too bad he didn't look interested."

"You're evil, Chuck."

"Yeah. And you just lost Nate to Serena." He gestured with his head.

Blair realized that the boy of her dreams, Nate Archibald, wasn't in the room anymore and neither was Serena.

"They went to the attic. There is something he wants to bring here." Chuck said.

The girl crossed her arms on her chest and looked bored and even angrier. Serena was stealing _her_ Nate under her own nose...

Finally, Nate and Serena got back. The guy was carrying a big book that looked ruined. It was made of brown leather and its pages were damaged. Other than the book the two guys had found upstairs, he had the little mahogany table to use with it.

"Nate! You're here again" she exclaimed happily; she didn't like to remain with Chuck alone and on a Halloween night, she knew he was prone to jokes and whatnot.

He smiled to her, and little Chuck could tell that Blair's heart melt. Again, loving someone was so stupid. And it made you waste time because it was evident it was one-sided.

"What is this, Nate?" Serena wondered with her dreamy face.

"That is a magic book" Chuck replied from behind Blair. "Nate's old grandfather used to own it."

"But what is that other table he brought?" Blair asked.

Chuck smirked. "Tonight we are going to contact dead people" he informed them. "Have you ever been part of a séance session?"

"What?" the girls voiced together.

"Let's all sit down at the table" the dark haired guy suggested. "Nate. Turn off the lights."

Blair and Serena hurried to a chair before their friend would switch on everything. Only a couple of candles were left in the room as a source of light.

As expected, Blair and her best friend sat down next to each other. It wasn't surprising either that Nate would go sitting next to the blonde instead of the brunette – while he took place next to this one. He was grinning inside, it was evident Nate liked Serena more than Blair. Served her well.

"We have to take the hand of the person next to us so that we'll create a circle" Nate read on the book he had brought. "We have to call the spirits first."

Blair reluctantly took Chuck's hand on her right and Serena's on her left, while she looked at the boy of her dreams offering his to her best friend. Ugh, how much she was grieving. If only Chuck had sat where Nate was now...

"Let's repeat together: _spirits, we're calling you. We are just poor souls and we are still alive but we need your advice to help us with our strive_."

"What?" Blair asked.

"Just repeat the words, Waldorf."

She glared at him and rolled her eyes, then the four kids started to say the phrase altogether. The first time, nothing happened.

"Is this a joke? Because I'm getting annoyed" Blair complained.

Chuck sighed. "Let's just wait. The spirits will come. We have to decide on one person to call now."

"Oh, I want Marylin Monroe!" Serena suggested, but the others didn't seem to agree.

"What about... Jack the Ripper?" Chuck suggested.

"No. I want to talk to Audrey. It's the best choice" Blair offered.

"I think I like Chuck's suggestion the most. Jack the ripper. I wonder if he's still alive." Nate said.

Somehow, what the boy said convinced Blair. It was usual. "If Nate wants it, then I agree."

"Do you agree too, Serena?" Chuck wondered.

The blonde shrugged. "It's the same for me."

"Alright!" Nate nodded. The four kids repeated the magic formula another time, but still nothing.

"Why it isn't happening anything?" Blair, as usual, asked.

Chuck rolled his eyes in her direction. "Wait. The spirit is coming. It may take a few minutes."

Nate and his best friend knew that nobody was coming, but they had arranged something so that the girls would be scared. The thing would start in a few minutes and they couldn't wait to see how the two little girls would react.

Chuck smiled at Nate when the first voice went off. It said '**WHO IS IT**' and it was loud.

The brunette tightened her grip on his hand and she let out a little moan, but Serena's was actually louder than hers.

"Scared, Blair?" Chuck turned and smirked at her. He could tell that she was in panic but was trying to hide it, because as soon as their eyes met, the girl raised an eyebrow.

"You wish."

"Guys, shut up. We need to hear what Jack the ripper has to say. I can see the shivers down my spine" Nate said, looking scared. Chuck knew it was only scene. "Or maybe we can end it here?" he proposed, to test the girls.

"That was so scary, Nate. But if you and Chuck remain here with us, I'm sure nothing is gonna happen" Serena murmured, locking eyes with the guy next to her. Blair was disgusted.

Chuck was internally smirking when he saw how envious of her best friend Blair was. He would enjoy every minute of what was coming next.

The guys repeated the formula for the third time.

'**WHY DID YOU CALL ME? I NEED TO KILL PEOPLE, I HAVE NO TIME**' the voice said, and both Serena and Blair screamer louder than they did before. If they only knew...

The four exchanged glances. Serena looked like she was about to cry, and possibly Blair too but she was good at hiding it as usual.

"Oh my" Serena exclaimed. "Stop it. I don't want to contact him anymore, he's gonna kill us!"

Chuck looked at Nate, he was waiting for his signal to end it. He nodded. The girls seemed scared enough with so little, they had already scared them earlier with the movies.

"We need to break the circle to break the call too" Nate ordered, and the boys and the girls weren't holding hands anymore.

The dark haired guy was bored that the game had finished so early. He had wanted to scare them more with his trick, but they had to end it. Nate had already gone to turn the lights on.

"That's it?" Blair wondered, she wanted to make Nate see that she wasn't feared at all.

"How come, _that's it_? The night isn't over yet." Chuck promised; the two guys had to still perform the other part of the séance session – if the girls wanted to join them.

"That's why you brought that mahogany table? No, please! I'm already scared" Serena pleaded, looking directly at Nate.

The guy turned to Chuck and he rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Let's not continue this."

"Why don't we eat something?" Nate suggested. "I'll go bring something from the kitchen, my mom has baked a cake few hours ago. Do you want to come?" he said to Serena, who nodded.

As long as the two kids went away, Blair was furious. _What the hell_, she thought. Sooner or later she would have to tell her best friend that she liked Nate and that she had to step back. Or else...

"Looks like we're alone again" Chuck told her with a smirk.

Blair wasn't festive at all. "I'd rather have Jack the ripper here than you."

"Really? If you want, we could contact him again" he raised an eyebrow expectedly, but Blair made a disgusted face and walked towards the couch to sit down.

She couldn't even put her back on it that the lights went off again.

"What? Nate, did you switch off the lights?" Blair asked, but no one answered.

"I don't think it was Nate" Chuck replied sharply. "But who cares?"

He couldn't see her because they had lighted off the candles a few minutes before, but she was a little afraid of being there in the dark. She was afraid he could do some tricks while she wasn't able to figure out where he was.

Chuck started to think. He and Nate hadn't planned to switch the lights off like that, the same way they had planned the recorded voice of Jack the ripper. Who the hell did that?

After a few minutes of silence and no sound, he decided to be brave and he went next to Blair.

"Nate?"

"No" the boy said, sitting next to her. "Deal with it, he's stuck in the kitchen. With Serena."

Blair snorted. "Chuck. Stay away from me."

Of course, Chuck didn't. He soon put his arm around her shoulder and she could feel his hand squeezing her arm.

"Get your hand off me, Chuck." She ordered, but he didn't do it. "Get your hand off me or I'll scream! You pervert."

"Shhh. You're wasting breath. And you're scared. But if you want me to go, I -" he offered, removing his arm from behind her neck and motioning to leave.

"No! Don't leave me alone."

"Say please."

"Go to hell."

Chuck giggled in the dark and moved his body further than hers. He wanted her to believe he had left the furniture and that she was alone.

"Chuck?" she called him again very soon. "Chuck?! Hey, did you really leave? Please, come back to me! We need to be close in this moment or Jack the ripper will kill us both."

He laughed and moved his weight closer to her. "_Finally _you said it. Scared?"

"Never!"

It was then that they heard a noise coming from not too far.

Chuck felt Blair's hand clutching on his arm as on to dear life. Hell, she was scared. And a lot. He needed to tease her a little.

"It doesn't look like that to me."

"What?"

"Face it, you're afraid because of that noise we've just heard."

"Me? The only one scared here it's you. You won't stop talking so you won't need to face your fear. Be a man and admit it." She provoked him.

He was diverted by her talking. "Then why are you holding my arm?"

Blair growled at him and removed her hand off his arm as a response. "Why am I stuck here with a pervert? God obviously hates me."

"Would you want to be stuck with Nate, instead?"

"Yes. Of course I would! Nate is kind, generous, cute. A prince charming. Unlike you."

"Thanks." He answered, trying to mock her. She didn't know anything about him nor Nate. Not that what she had said about his best friend was untrue, but he knew his mate was more like him than suited for her. Although she was right he was a prince charming.

"See? You don't even question that!"

"What should I question? Nate is indeed a prince charming. I'm a dark knight. And Serena it's a princess, while you are a one of her jealous sisters."

She was annoyed by what he was saying. "That's not true, because I'm a queen! And Nate is my prince. Serena is my trustworthy dame and you are my future husband's court jester best friend who he doesn't want to banish from the castle."

"That's really funny. Though, do you know that princes don't marry queens, right?"

She was losing her temper. "Ow, shut up. You know nothing of the sort."

"Believe me, I know enough. And you do too. Do you think Nate would have taken you to the kitchen if he had to choose between you and Serena?"

"Of course he would, what are you saying?"

He raised an eyebrow although she couldn't see him. "Spare me."

He thought she would answer him rudely again, but this time she didn't. Chuck had had her thinking. She was starting to be aware that Nate seemed to like her best friend more than her. She was sure that if she had asked to come with him to the kitchen, he wouldn't have said no. Nate wasn't annoying and evil like Chuck – he would have taken both her and S. But why the heck she was stuck with this other boy in the dark? Dammit. It could've been the perfect night for them to kiss...

And the lights were turning on again. What a bad combination for a Halloween night.

Blair was waiting anxiously for Nate and Serena to get back, but they didn't for a long time. She thought they were coming to the living room when she heard footsteps from behind her. That was when she decided to break the silence she was forcing to keep not to talk to Chuck.

"Nate? S? Is that you? We're here!" she said out loud, but no one answered.

Chuck wasn't worried at all. "That's probably not them. Maybe is Jack. He's coming to get us."

"Shut up! Nate?! Nate, please get back here!" she pleaded, but no one answered her. Instead, a big voice said **OHHH**.

He knew that Blair would clutch onto his arm again, and that was what she did. He didn't know why, but he liked when she did that. At least she wasn't calling him pig and pervert again. She was seriously scared to death. "Have you heard that?" Blair wondered, not being able to shut up more.

"Yeah. Did it scare you?"

"No" she firmly answered. "Don't tease me again, Bass. I can't wait for the lights to come back so we can end this charade."

"Do you really think this is a charade? Because it's not, Blair. We called the spirit. He came."

"Stop talking about Jack!" she shouted, her hands were wet because of the anxiety.

'**WHERE ARE YOU? I'M CLOSE!**' a voice said again, making Blair get nearer Chuck.

Alright, it was time to finish it there. He was annoyed and wanted to sleep because it was late.

"Don't worry, the lights are coming back soon." Chuck said, hoping that Nate was listening from the other room. He was the only one who could switch them on because he wasn't entangled with Blair Waldorf on a couch.

The lights were switched on again very soon, and Nate and Serena got back from the kitchen. The two seemed cheerful and not scared at all. He was glad Nate had heard him. She had had enough of Blair's complaints again but he had had fun teasing her.

Blair's eyes were closed when the lights went on again. She soon opened them when she noticed her best friend and loved guy standing a few steps from them.

"You got back safely!"

Nate was confused. He thought that was nothing to be scared about. "I did."

"And it looks like you were scared, Blair" Serena said, making her notice she still had her hand wrapped around Chuck's upper arm.

The brunette let go of it soon, making Chuck giggle with amusement.

"I can tell you she was." He confirmed.

Blair glared at him and stood up from the couch. "Nate, thankfully you're here. Jack the ripper appeared again!"

"What? He appeared?" he wondered.

Chuck tried to meet Nate's eyes. "Yeah, we heard his voice twice."

"Twice? But I didn't -" the guy seemed more lost.

"But you? You didn't what, Nate?" Blair was curious now.

"Nate wanted to say that he probably didn't hear Jack from the kitchen." Chuck proposed, getting Nate's questioning eyes on him.

"That's not the truth" Blair put a hand on her hip.

"You don't believe me?"

Blair shook her head. "Come on, I know that you and Nate agreed to scare us. That voice was recorded."

Chuck and Nate were exchanging glances. "We didn't."

"Chuck is right, we didn't do anything. It was all real."

The brunette was surprised, but what she could expect. She decided to believe Nate. But she probably knew it was a trick the two boys had prepared. She went to Serena after everything was okay and the two left for the bathroom, while Nate went to Chuck.

"Did you use the reordered voice again?" The blond asked.

Chuck was sure of himself. "I was convinced you did."

"If I didn't use it... and you didn't use it... who was it?"

The lights were switched off again after a minute. Both Chuck and Nate screamed; they hadn't planned any of this like the rest.

"Nate, did you put the timer on the switch again?" the dark haired guy questioned.

"There was just one timer, and it went off earlier as planned."

"Then who the hell switched all off? I can't believe we... we called Jack the ripper for real."

"You think? I hope not, I'm too young to be killed!" Nate said nervously.

'**I'M COMING TO GET YOU! YOU, LITTLE BRATS WHO DARED TO INTERRUPT MY SPIRAL OF DEATH!**' another phrase went off. They didn't remember to record this one. Both let out a big 'oh my God' when they heard the voice.

"I think we made a mistake, Nate. We made a big mistake" Chuck said, not knowing what to do. "We need to call him back or we'll risk. All of us."

Soon enough, the lights were switched on, and Blair and Serena got back to the room. They were laughing out loud at the two boys.

"What's to laugh about?"

"We're laughing about you, Chuck!" Blair said, exchanging a glance with her best friend.

"I don't think I did anything funny" the little boy snapped back.

Blair raised her eyebrows, she was so entertained. "You didn't understand anything?"

"What's to understand?"

"We played you, guys!" Serena said. "We played you."

"Then it was you who switched off the lights again and played Jack's voice?" Nate asked.

Blair nodded. "I'm sorry you were involved too, Nate. But you also tricked us earlier with that recorded voice!"

"Alright, alright. We did. There was no need to do it to us too."

"No need? I've never laughed so much in my life, Chuck. Seeing you scared was gold to me. A good payback."

"Payback, huh? I wasn't scared."

"You weren't? Serena, tell him how pale he was when we switched on the lights."

"Don't deny it, Chuck!" Serena said.

He got closer to the girls and lowered his voice. "Do not dare to tell this at school."

"We'll see about that." Blair shrugged, then the four kids decided to get over it and go to bed. Despite the pranks and everything, they had fun that night.


End file.
